A New Beginning
by Healer Pomfrey
Summary: Dumbledore and Harry looked in disbelief at the figure on the floor in front of them. It was not an evil wizard's dead body but the naked figure of a baby. AU from fight at Ministry, partly OOC, childfic. A Snape mentors Harry and Tom story. HP/HG
1. Chapter 1

**A New Beginning****  
by Healer Pomfrey**

_I'm not a native speaker of English. Please excuse my mistakes.  
All recognizable characters belong to J. K. Rowling, and I am not earning anything by writing this story.  
_

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**Chapter 1  
**

Harry watched in shock as his godfather fell behind the curtain, before the fight with the Death Eaters continued for a little while. In the end, only Dumbledore and Harry remained at the Ministry – and Voldemort. '_I'll show you what you deserve for getting my godfather killed_,' Harry thought in devastation as he waved his hand and tried to wandlessly cast the killing curse at the Dark Lord, knowing that it wouldn't be possible to use his wand against that of the evil wizard. Unfortunately, the spell didn't have the desired effect, be it because Harry didn't have enough practice in wandless magic yet, be it because his magic was weakened due to his exhaustion after the earlier fight.

Dumbledore and Harry looked in disbelief at the figure on the floor in front of them. It was not an evil wizard's dead body. It was the naked figure of a baby, lying on a pile of black clothes.

"Do you want to try once more, Harry?" Dumbledore queried, giving the boy an assessing look.

"He... He's a baby, sir," Harry whispered in a hardly audible voice and took a few hesitant steps forward. In spite of the fact that his scar erupted in pain, he carefully picked up the baby and held it in front of his face.

"Dadada," the little boy babbled happily, giving him a toothy smile.

"Hi Tom," Harry whispered, looking at the child in disbelief, just when he felt a cool sensation run down his front. "Um... Professor, would you mind conjuring a nappy for him, please?"

"Oh, sorry my boy," Dumbledore replied, finally being brought out of his stupor.

An instant later, the child on Harry's arm was dressed in a nappy and a red jumpsuit with small yellow lions on it that were roaring from time to time.

"Daga," Tom giggled, pointing to one of the lions.

"No Tom, that's a lion," Harry said gently, before he turned back to Dumbledore. "Professor, what are we going to do?" he asked in desperation, torn between sorrow about Sirius, panic about failing to kill Voldemort and amazement at the sight of the baby.

"That's completely up to you, my boy," Dumbledore said gravely. "You will be responsible for him, whatever you decide to do. Just let me tell you one thing. There is a prophecy that has been made shortly before your birth." He let out a long sigh.

"And what does it say?" Harry asked impatiently.

The Headmaster threw him a grave look. "Summarized, it says that you'e the one to vanquish Voldemort using a power he knows not, because none of you can survive, while the other is alive."

Harry looked at the Headmaster in shock. "Can we return to Hogwarts then, before we decide what to do?" he asked hesitantly.

"Of course, Harry. That's what we're going to do." Dumbledore led Harry to the fireplace and stepped through the Floo into his office at Hogwarts, closely followed by Harry with the small boy in his arms.

'_It would be easy to get rid of him now_,' a small voice at the back of Harry's head spoke up. '_I can use my wand now and simply cast the killing curse_.'

_

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tbc..._


	2. Chapter 2

**A New Beginning****  
by Healer Pomfrey**

_Please refer to the disclaimer and warnings in chapter 1!  
_

* * *

**Chapter ****2**

Dumbledore motioned for Harry to take a seat, offering him a lemon drop, which Harry refused impatiently.

'_He's just a baby. He isn't evil yet. He probably became evil because of how he grew up, before he came to Hogwarts and during the summer holidays. I should know best how it is to grow up unloved as a freak in the Muggle world. It's for a reason that I thought I was on the verge of becoming dark more than once_,' he thought.

"I'm going to keep him and try to raise him appropriately," Harry finally said, looking up to the Headmaster, who had been quietly waiting for him to make up his mind. "I don't believe in prophecies."

"Very well, my boy. I accept your decision, and I'll try to help you," Dumbledore said gently. "There are several points we need to discuss though. Do you want everyone to know who Tom is?"

"No," Harry replied immediately. "They would hate him, and people would try to harm him. Not even my own House mates would accept him. That wouldn't be good."

"Exactly. Harry, I know that you probably won't like this, but I want to include Professor Snape in our conversation. First of all," he continued, ignoring Harry's gasp, "we'll need his help earlier or later, and secondly, he has been my spy for so long and I've always been able to trust him, so that he deserves to be told the truth."

"Okay," Harry grudgingly gave in.

"Before I call him, I wish to give you something." Dumbledore pulled something out of his robe pocket, handing it to Harry. "You must think carefully what to do with it. I can safely put it away for you if you want."

"Yes please," Harry agreed. '_I didn't even notice that he picked up Voldemort's wand_,' he mused while the Headmaster leaned into the fireplace to call the Potions Master.

An instant later, Snape stepped out of the fireplace, throwing an incredulous look at the baby in Harry's arm.

"You could have helped us and check if Sirius was at Grimmauld place, sir," Harry blurted out angrily. "It's your fault as well that he's dead now. Oh well, I guess you're happy now."

"You're really a dunderhead, Mr. Potter," Snape sneered and explained how he had tried to contact Sirius, causing Harry to utter a barely audible apology. "May I enquire who that is?" he queried, raising an eyebrow.

"Your Master, Sir," Harry replied, busily trying to pray two tiny hands away from his glasses. "No Tom, leave my glasses in peace," he said firmly.

A small pout appeared on the boy's face, but he continued to busy himself trying to grab Harry's glasses nevertheless, while the Headmaster explained to the Potions Master what had happened at the Ministry.

"I believe that Mr. Potter already fulfilled the prophecy, Albus, considering that he vanquished the Dark Lord, only leaving an innocent baby," Snape said thoughtfully, raising an eyebrow at the student.

"That might be," Dumbledore agreed pensively. "Severus, Harry decided to keep Tom. However, as you know he is only fifteen and still a student. And the summer holidays are going to begin in a few days. What are we going to do?"

"Whom are you going to involve in this?" Snape queried, quirking an eyebrow.

"I thought about the Order. That would include the four Heads of House and Poppy," Dumbledore replied thoughtfully.

"No!" Harry threw in. "Not the Order please." Seeing that the two professors were shooting him surprised looks, he elaborated, "If the Weasleys knew, certainly their children would eventually get to know, and I'm sure that Ron wouldn't take it well. Wouldn't it be enough to only inform the Heads of House? We could tell everyone else, for example, that he was my relatives' child and they didn't want him because he is magical."

"That's a good idea, Harry," the Headmaster said warmly.

"To make people believe that he is your relatives' son, you'll have to blood adopt him, Mr. Potter," Snape stated in a voice that was void of any malice. "He doesn't look like you at all."

Harry sighed and looked at Tom, who had apparently become bored of trying to grab Harry's glasses and had curled up on his lap, sucking his thumb. He made the child sit on his lap and asked in a soft but stern voice, "Tom, do you want me to become your Daddy?"

"Dadada," Tom replied, laughing at Harry, before his small face turned stern and he asked in an unsure voice, "Mummy?"

"I'm so sorry, sweetie, but I'm afraid that your mummy can't be here," Harry replied solemnly, gently rubbing circles into the baby's back. "All right then, little one; we'll see what we can do," he said softly and fiercely rubbed his forehead, before he turned to Snape. "Professor, what do I need to do to blood adopt him?"

Snape thoughtfully cleared his throat. "First of all, we must ask Madam Pomfrey to check on him, which is the main reason why we have to tell her the truth. We can't give a baby such a dangerous potion without even knowing his exact age and his health condition. If and only if she agrees, I need two or three drops of your blood, depending on the dosage Madam Pomfrey recommends, and then I'll give him the potion. I probably don't have the potion in stock, but it only takes thirty minutes to brew."

"There is one other matter we need to speak about," Dumbledore said thoughtfully, sucking on his lemon drop. "Harry is only fifteen and officially can't become Tom's guardian, even if he would be registered as his adoptive father. And I don't know if it was wise to send the boys to the Dursleys over the summer."

"Oh no," Harry groaned, and the teachers watched his face turn white at the thought. "They would kill us or throw us out; that's for sure."

"That's what I thought, considering the memories of your home that Professor Snape showed me after your Occlumency lessons. Severus, would you be willing to become both boys' guardian for the fourteen months until Harry turns seventeen?"

Shock flashed in the Potion Master's eyes for a short moment, before his face took on a blank expression and he replied, "Very well, Albus. Will they need to stay in my quarters?"

"Only until the end of the summer holidays. Afterwards, Harry can return to his dormitory and take Tom with him. However, in order to make it more believable that Tom is his cousin, I suggest that the two stay in your quarters during the last few days of the school year."

"Very well then, considering that it's the middle of the night, I suggest that we retreat to my quarters. I'll ask the elves to make a room for Potter and... err... Tom, but for the rest of tonight, my guestroom should suffice."

"Of course, Professor; anything will be all right. I have no idea how to care for a baby though," Harry said in a small voice.

"I'm sure Professor Snape will be able to help you, Harry," Dumbledore said gently.

"We'll see. Albus, we'll be back first thing in the morning," Severus said with a hint of threat laced in his voice. "Mr. Potter, since students are not able to use the Hogwarts internal Floo network on their own, we'll have to step into the fireplace together. Shall I take the baby?"

Harry looked at Tom, who had fallen asleep in his arms with a small thumb in his mouth. '_He looks adorable_,' he couldn't help thinking at the sight. "No, it's all right, sir. I have him," he quickly replied and stepped into the fireplace next to the Potions Master.

Harry's first impression of the professor's quarters was '_Books! Lots and lots of books!_' The living room that was built around the fireplace was from the floor to the ceiling covered with bookshelves that were only interrupted by several magical windows and a door leading to a small corridor.

"For tonight, you'll stay in the guest room," Snape announced as he led Harry into the last room on the left side. "My room is next door in case you need me, and the bathroom is the one with the green door opposite of my room." With that he conjured a crib for the child and transfigured his clothes into light green pyjamas with a pattern of little white dragons, causing Harry to chuckle.

'_I'll have to learn that spell, and then I'll only dress him in blue, pink and white, so he won't get attached to any House yet_,' he thought as he carefully tried to put Tom into the crib. However, Tom didn't like that at all and continued to wail until Severus was unnerved and Harry was tired, so that he finally took the boy with him into his own bed.

"Mr. Potter, do you need anything? Otherwise, I suggest we both try to get some sleep," Snape said, raising an eyebrow at Harry.

Harry glanced around. Cicero, the professor's house-elf, had already fetched his belongings from his dormitory. He was just about to reply in the negative, when he remembered to ask, "Could I have a headache potion, please?"

"Of course," Snape replied, giving him a sharp look. "It's your scar, isn't it?" he asked as he summoned a phial from his potions lab.

"Yes sir."

"We'll have to think about something then," Snape said thoughtfully, handing Harry a phial with a light orange potion.

"Thank you, Professor," Harry mumbled as he lay down in exhaustion, noticing that the potion had only helped so much. Nevertheless, he drifted off to sleep, before Snape had even left the room.

Harry had the impression as if he had only just fallen asleep when Tom began to cry.

"Tom, what's wrong?" he cooed, pulling the small boy closely into his arms, but Tom continued to cry.

"Are you hungry, sweetie?" Harry asked but was unable to receive an answer from the child. '_What am I going to do? I don't know if I can call Cicero. Maybe I should call Dobby and hope Cicero will be all right with him coming here_,' Harry thought tiredly and finally called Dobby.

"I'll brings yous some milk for the baby," Dobby promised and returned with a bottle of warm milk.

Tom immediately stopped crying and relaxed in Harry's arm as he eagerly sucked his milk, slowly drifting back to sleep in the process. Harry observed in amazement how the boy still managed to finish his bottle. "Thank you, Dobby. You're a lifesaver," he mumbled as he handed the bottle back and lay down to sleep some more as well.

新しい人生

When Harry woke up in the morning after a few hours of nightmares and watching his godfather fall through the veil, Tom was already changed and dressed, this time in a dark blue jump suit with light blue cats that were trying to catch each other.

"Oh, I'm sorry, Professor," Harry said sleepily, gently pulling Tom up, who was standing in front of the bed, raising both arms into the air to be picked up.

"You're welcome, Mr. Potter. Is your headache bearable?" Snape asked, apparently noticing that Harry looked worse for the wear.

"I'm all right," Harry sighed, fiercely rubbing his forehead.

"I believe that immediately," the professor scoffed. "If you're well enough, I suggest that you come into the kitchen for breakfast. I already informed the Headmaster that I'm going to miss breakfast in the Great Hall."

"Okay," Harry agreed and made Tom sit aside, so that he could scramble out of his bed.

Ten minutes later, Harry, Tom and the professor were sitting in Snape's small kitchen. Guessing that the child had to be a little older than a year, they decided to give him a small cup with milk and a piece of toast along with some pieces of fruit, and Harry watched in relief how Tom enjoyed his breakfast, while he kept his hands wrapped around a mug of hot tea, until Snape suddenly pulled him out of his reverie.

"Mr. Potter, the Headmaster has officially declared that the Dark Lord is gone due to your fight at the Ministry. Therefore, he has cancelled all classes for today and tomorrow. However, we urgently have to solve a few problems. Just like you feel him through the pain in your scar, I can sense him through the Dark Mark, and thus, all the Death Eaters would be able to sense him if they came near him, which is inevitable here at the school. Therefore, we need to either find a way to get rid of the Dark Mark, which I believe is impossible, or we have to get rid of all people, who bear the mark."

Harry threw the professor a terrified look. '_Well, I don't care about the Death Eaters, considering that Bellatrix murdered Sirius_,' he thought, '_but what about Snape? He has the mark too_.'

_

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tbc..._

_Thank you so much for your kind comments._


	3. Chapter 3

**A New Beginning****  
by Healer Pomfrey**

_Please refer to the disclaimer and warnings in chapter 1!  
_

* * *

**Chapter ****3**

Snape, Harry and Tom were just about to finish their breakfast, when the Headmaster stepped through the fireplace with Madam Pomfrey in tow. The Mediwitch apparently knew who the child was since she eyed him with reservation.

However, Tom was in a very good mood and threw the Healer a huge smile, babbling happily when Harry pulled him out of his child seat. Poppy motioned Harry to sit on the sofa in the living room and keep Tom on his lap, just in case he wasn't used to magic and would be afraid.

"Hello Tom," she said gently as she pulled her wand.

Tom eyed the stick anxiously, nestling deeper into Harry's robes. Harry smiled and asked Pomfrey to wait for a moment, before he pulled a tissue out of his robe pocket and waved his hand at it to transfigure it into a green dragon. "Here, sweetie, that's for you," he said in a soft voice. "Now, shall we ask Aunt Poppy to check on your dragon and see if he's really as healthy as he should be? If he's all fine, you may cuddle with him if you want."

Tom looked excitedly at Harry and nodded, carefully holding the dragon on his lap, so that he could be examined.

Harry observed in concern how the Healer's expression became more worried with each wave of her wand. Finally, she unobtrusively cast a sleeping spell at Tom that caused him to yawn and curl up in Harry's lap.

"I'm afraid we have a few problems," she said sternly. "He was hit by the killing curse; did I understand that correctly?"

"Yes," Harry said in a small voice, suddenly feeling absolutely horrible.

"Harry," the Healer said gently, noticing that he hurriedly wiped a tear from his cheek, "it's not your fault. You only did what you had to do and what the magical world expected from you. You don't have to feel bad about this, right, Severus?"

Harry hesitantly glanced up to the Potions Master. His face held an indifferent expression, but he nodded. "Exactly. Poppy, what exactly is wrong with the boy, and how old is he?"

Pomfrey sighed. "He is one year, three months and three days old, which means that his birthday is the first of March. Unfortunately, the curse damaged his inner organs to a great extent. He might get problems especially with his lungs and his stomach. His heart is also slightly weakened by the curse. Therefore, he won't be able to undertake activities like Quidditch. And his magic is nearly gone. It only exceeds that of a Squib by two percent."

Harry looked at the little boy in shock. Even if he knew who the boy was, he had only known the small child from the evening before, but the baby was so sweet that he just couldn't help taking him to his heart. '_He is such a sweet child. I hope I'll manage to raise him properly this time_,' he mused, while Snape and Pomfrey discussed the possibility of giving Tom a blood adoption potion.

"It could help with his magic," Pomfrey said thoughtfully, "considering how strong Harry's magic is. And since he doesn't have any acute health problems at the moment, it should be all right to give him the blood adoption potion. However, I'd like to observe him when you give him the potion."

"I can brew the potion immediately. Maybe you could give Mr. Potter a lesson in baby care in the meantime?" Snape replied, smirking.

"That's a good idea, Severus," Pomfrey agreed warmly, turning to Harry. "Shall we go into your room, and I'll tell and show you what you need to know?"

"Yes please," Harry replied gratefully and led the Healer into the guest room he shared with Tom.

The Mediwitch showed Harry how to magically change the boy's nappy and to transform his clothes into pyjamas and back, before she said, "As useful as these spells are, especially if you're in a hurry, I'd like to ask you to do it manually whenever you have enough time. Babies need body contact, and they prefer being changed by their parents' hands."

"All right," Harry replied in understanding. "Could you perhaps show me how to change a nappy manually?" he asked hesitantly.

"Of course, Harry. Don't worry, you can come to me and ask me at any time. You're not alone in this. I'm sure Professor McGonagall will also be happy to assist. I remember well how excited she was to look after you when you were a baby. She often baby-sat you."

Harry couldn't help blushing at the thought. "How is Professor McGonagall by the way? Is she still at St. Mungo's?"

"She returned last night, but she'll have to use a walking stick for a few weeks," Pomfrey said gently and conjured a changing table, before she motioned Harry to put Tom down on the yellow cover that held quacking green frogs.

Chuckling, Harry put Tom onto his stomach. The small boy stirred at the sudden loss of body warmth, but before he could begin to wail, he became distracted by the quacking frogs and began to giggle.

"Hello Tommy," Madam Pomfrey cooed, gently tickling his little toes. "Shall I teach Harry how to change your dirty nappy into a clean one that smells good? What do you think?"

Tom laughed back at the kind woman and didn't protest when she turned him onto his back and began to open his jumpsuit. Poppy showed Harry how to care for Tom and instructed him to be careful not to dress him in too warm clothes.

"People tend to put too many clothes on their babies. He hardly needs more than you. You have to feel his neck from time to time. If his neck is warm enough, then he'll be all right. You must also keep an eye on him and check him for possible illnesses. Small children get sick easily, and he will be particularly susceptible to illnesses because of his lung and stomach problems, especially if he lives here at Hogwarts with so many students around."

"Did you enjoy your nursing lesson?" Snape suddenly queried, entering the room. He was carrying a small goblet. "Mr. Potter, I need two drops of blood. Hold your elbow over the goblet please."

Harry complied, and the teacher waved his wand at his elbow, causing two drops of blood drop into the goblet. After another wave of his wand to mix the blood into the potion, the professor turned to the Mediwitch. "If you held the boy..."

"Can't you just spell it into his stomach?" Harry asked hesitantly, wondering if Tom would easily accept such a foul drink.

"It's not recommendable with this potion," Snape replied curtly.

Pomfrey scooped Tom up, who was clearly dissatisfied and began to scream, reaching for Harry with both arms, until he took him from the Mediwitch.

"Hey, there's no need to make such a ruckus," Harry whispered into the baby's ear. "Madam Pomfrey is very nice."

"Here Tom, I need you to drink this," Snape explained in a soft, silky voice, "in order to make Harry your daddy."

"Hawwy," Tom giggled and tentatively nipped at the cauldron, only to pull his mouth back very quickly. "Uck."

"I'm sorry, sweetie, but you have to drink it," Harry said softly, gently stroking the baby's soft cheeks.

"No!" Tom shouted, and hot tears began to stream down his face.

Snape sighed. "Well, we can spell the potion straight into his system, but the after-effects might be worse as if he drank it," he explained, before he waved his wand at the goblet. "Mr. Potter, I suggest that you put him into his crib. He might be in a bit of pain, depending on how much his body changes. You could also lie down together with him, considering that you look worse for the wear today."

"Okay," Harry agreed in spite of knowing that his headache would hardly get better if he held Tom in his arms. Nevertheless, he gratefully lay down, closed his eyes and cuddled the baby close, unaware of the concerned looks he received from the adults.

As soon as they noticed first signs of pain on Tom's small face, Snape spelled a pain relieving potion into the boy's stomach, and Pomfrey cast a sleeping charm on the child, noticing that Harry had already drifted off to sleep.

新しい人生

Harry and Tom slept through the whole day. Late in the afternoon, Harry woke up to a tiny hand patting his cheek.

"Hawwy," a high, childish voice made him open his eyes only to stare at the baby in his arm in disbelief.

_

* * *

tbc..._

_Thank you so much for your kind comments._


	4. Chapter 4

**A New Beginning****  
by Healer Pomfrey**

_Please refer to the disclaimer and warnings in chapter 1!  
_

* * *

**Chapter ****4**

"Surprised, Mr. Potter?" the Potions Master queried, an eyebrow raised at Harry as he entered the room. "He looks like the spitting image of you."

"Indeed," Harry replied in surprise, curiously eyeing the small boy, who even had his own green eyes.

"If you feel well enough to get up, you might want to move into your own room. Cicero already took Tom's furniture into the new room," Snape said evenly, giving Harry a sharp look. "Do you need a headache potion?"

"No thank you. It only helps so much against this kind of headache," Harry admitted. '_I'll probably just have to get used to the pain_.'

"That's what I feared," Snape said thoughtfully and promised, "I'll try to come up with a solution as soon as possible."

"Thank you, sir," Harry replied gratefully, noticing that Tom had drifted back to sleep again. Harry carefully scrambled out of bed without waking up the child and followed the professor into the new room the elves had made for Tom and him.

'_Wow, this is fantastic_,' he thought, looking at the room that was in fact two rooms, which were connected by a huge doorframe. One of the rooms held Tom's crib as well as the changing table, a wardrobe and a small shelf in the play corner that was situated in front of a charmed window. Harry's room was furniture with a four posted bed, a desk with a comfortable looking chair, a wardrobe and a bookshelf. The charmed window showed the view onto the lake and the Quidditch pitch. '_In spite of being in the dungeons_,' Harry thought in amazement.

新しい人生

During the following few days, Harry and Tom remained in the Potions Master's quarters in order not to let themselves been seen by the students. The Headmaster told the students that Harry had been injured when he vanquished Voldemort and had been excused from the last few days before the beginning of the summer holidays.

Apart from his headache that was bothering him greatly, Harry became slowly used to spending his time with a baby. He often gathered Tom in his arms and read to him from the children's books he found in the small shelf in Tom's room, or he built castles for him out of the large Lego blocks he found in a box next to the books. '_He is such a sweet child. What might have happened to him that made him so evil?_' Harry couldn't help thinking.

Professor Snape took the fact that Harry and Tom were living in his quarters surprisingly well. The normally strict and snarky professor turned out to be very kind and understanding, and in spite of being busy right before the end of the school year he always took the time to speak with Harry in the evening when Tom had finally fallen asleep.

Tom still woke up every night crying because of being hungry. Harry always fetched the small boy and placed him in his arm, before he made him suck on the bottle with warm milk Dobby used to bring as soon as Harry called him.

"Harry just goes to sleeps with Tom. Dobby wills comes and takes bottle from Tom later on," Dobby promised every night, and Harry gratefully drifted back to sleep, while Tom was still peacefully drinking his milk.

Unfortunately, Harry always woke up with a splitting headache, which would neither recede with a potion nor with time. '_Of course, it won't get better as long as I'm together with Tom, but I can't help it_,' he mused, sighing. '_When the new school year begins, I'll be able to ask Hermione or someone to watch him for an hour or so, so that I can get a bit of a distance, but at the moment, there is nothing I can do. The only one I can tell the truth is Hermione, but she has already gone home, because she was injured at the Ministry_.'

However, during the night before the last day of classes, his headache became so bad that he had to race to the bathroom and throw up, feeling utterly miserable. He let himself sink on the floor in front of the toilet in exhaustion, leaning his head against the cool tiles of the wall. '_It was a mistake to blood adopt Tom. I can't bear being with him all the time_,' he mused as the pain became too bad to keep his eyes open anymore.

Suddenly, a cold hand on his forehead brought him out of his stupor. "Mr. Potter, you're ill. Let me help you back to bed," the professor's soft baritone voice penetrated his ears.

"I'm sorry," Harry mumbled and slowly got back onto his feet, only to notice that the movement made him feel sick again. "Sorry, I'm going to be sick," he mumbled quickly, before he leaned over the toilet once more.

"Better now?" Snape asked gently when Harry's stomach finally finished getting rid of its contents.

"Yes. I'm sorry," Harry replied in a small voice and allowed the professor to lead him back into his room.

"Lie down, Mr. Potter. I'll move Tom into his crib," Snape said and waved his wand at the baby. An instant later, he returned and sat on the edge of Harry's bed. He once more placed a slender hand on Harry's forehead, before he felt his cheeks and his neck. "Mr. Potter, are you sure that you're only sick because of your headache?" he asked softly. "You're feverish."

"Probably," Harry mumbled miserably, unconsciously leaning into the cold touch. "I'll be fine if I sleep a bit more without Tom nearby."

"Very well then; call me if you need me. I'll leave the doors ajar," Snape instructed him and left the room.

Even after a few hours of sleep, Harry didn't feel much better. His stomach wasn't as queasy anymore, but he still had a tremendous headache, and he felt hot and cold at the same time. To his relief, Tom still seemed to be asleep. At least he wasn't crawling over him like he used to do in the morning.

As if he had placed an alarm on Harry to be alerted when he woke up, Snape entered his room and sat on the edge of Harry's bed, raising an eyebrow. "I take it that you're not feeling any better yet?" he asked softly as he carefully felt the boy's forehead.

"Not really," Harry admitted, looking at the teacher from half open glassy eyes.

"I'm going to call Professor McGonagall. Maybe she'll be able to look after Tom for a few hours, considering that her classes are cancelled anyway," Snape said thoughtfully.

"No, I'll be all right looking after Tom, sir. It's bad enough that I'm bothering you, but I can't let Professor McGonagall look after Tom. Her classes are cancelled for a reason," Harry said weakly, causing the professor to raise an eyebrow and summon a thermometer from the bathroom.

He grabbed the slim stick out of the air and instructed Harry, "Please open your mouth and let me take your temperature, while I'll speak with your Head of House."

The cold glassy device in his mouth made Harry shiver violently, and he sighed in relief when the professor returned and plucked the icy thing from his mouth. After a glance on the display, Snape laid the device on the night table and gently helped Harry to bring himself in a half sitting position, before he held a phial against his lips. "Let's hope that the fever reducing potion will work better than the headache potion," he said, sighing. "Professor McGonagall will be here in a few minutes to look after Tom and after you. You will remain in bed. Is that clear? I'll come again to check on you after the last morning class."

"Yes sir; thank you sir," Harry mumbled, just when Tom woke up and began to cry. Harry automatically moved to scramble out of his bed, knowing that Tom couldn't get out of his crib by himself.

"Didn't I just tell you to stay in bed?" Snape said sternly, rolling his eyes, before he crossed the room and scooped the baby into his arms. "Good morning, Tom. Let's get you dressed, won't we?"

"Hawwy?" Tom enquired in a small voice, causing Harry to swing his feet out of the bed when he heard Snape reply.

"Harry is sick today. We must leave him in peace for a while."

Before Tom could protest, Professor McGonagall stepped out of the fireplace, and the two professors got Tom dressed and made him eat his breakfast, before Snape had to head to class.

Harry lay down again in relief, feeling very grateful towards the professors, who were looking after Tom for him.

新しい人生

During the following days, Professor McGonagall and Madam Pomfrey took turns looking after Tom for a few hours each day, so that Harry was able to get away from the little boy for a while. In the meantime, Snape busied himself in his potions lab, trying to invent something that worked for Harry's headache. Unfortunately, a solution was not in sight.

During the summer, Dumbledore, McGonagall and Pomfrey came to Snape's quarters every evening to meet with the Potions Master and Harry in order to discuss the possibilities of cancelling the connections between Tom and the Death Eaters as well as between Tom and Harry. However, by the end of the holidays they still hadn't come up with a solution.

"If we can't come up with anything adequate, we have to think about using the method Severus explained two months ago to get rid of all the Death Eaters," Dumbledore said gravely. "We have to act before the new school year begins next week."

"I have an idea," Harry said thoughtfully, "at least for the connection between Tom and the Death Eaters. Professor Snape, is it possible to perform Legilimency on two persons at the same time?"

_

* * *

tbc..._

_Thank you so much for your kind comments._


	5. Chapter 5

**A New Beginning****  
by Healer Pomfrey**

_Please refer to the disclaimer and warnings in chapter 1!  
_

* * *

**Chapter ****5**

Snape threw Harry a thoughtful look. "Please become a bit more specific, Mr. Potter. Why would someone want to cast Legilimency on two persons at the same time?"

"Well, it's just an idea. If you cast the Legilimency spell on Tom and me simultaneously and let Tom press the Dark Mark on your arm at the same time, I can use wish magic in combination with an incantation in Parseltongue in order to remove his followers' Dark Mark. I don't know if it'll work, but I read something in the book about classical dark spells." He uncertainly looked at the professors, who seemed very pensive.

"I believe that could be possible," Snape spoke up slowly. "It wouldn't remove the connection between Tom and me, but it might work on everyone else baring the Mark."

"How will we be able to find out if it worked though?" Harry asked hesitantly.

"I can ask Draco when he returns to Hogwarts next week," Snape said evenly, causing his colleagues to let out a collective gasp.

"He already bears the Mark?" McGonagall queried in shock.

"Since last Christmas," Snape replied grimly.

新しい人生

In the morning of the thirtieth August, Snape and Harry got ready for the experiment and gathered in the Headmaster's office with Dumbledore, McGonagall and Pomfrey at their side in case they needed help.

"Maybe it would be the best if you held Tom," Snape said to McGonagall, who was sitting next to Harry.

"Of course, Severus," McGonagall readily agreed and took the baby from Harry. "How will I know when I have to make him touch your Mark?"

"I'll tell you," Snape reassured her and carefully entered Tom's and Harry's mind at the same time. 'You must hurry, Harry. I don't know how long I'll be able to hold the connection,' he thought urgently, before he motioned for his colleague to press Tom's hand against the Dark Mark on his arm.

Harry hurriedly uttered the spell, which he had studied intensely during the last few days. Unfortunately, his headache became unbearable, and by the time he finished the incantation, he was just about to lose consciousness.

Tom was whimpering miserably on Minerva's arms, and Snape was gripping his left arm, closing his eyes in pain.

"Tom, I'm sorry," Harry mumbled in a barely audible voice, weakly reaching for the baby, who frantically tried to get onto his lap. "Shh, it's all right now, sweetie. I'm sorry. I promise to never hurt you again, son."

"I'm sorry, Tom, but I need you to leave Harry in peace for a little while," Minerva cooed, trying to take Tom back, but he outright refused, fiercely clinging to Harry's robes.

Knowing that Harry needed to rest without Tom for a while, Madam Pomfrey quickly cast a sleeping spell at Tom, and Minerva gratefully pulled the baby onto her lap.

"I don't think this caused the Dark Mark to vanish," Severus mumbled, still gripping his arm in agony. "I'm not sure..."

"Severus, you'll have time enough to speak about the matter later on. You and Harry are both magically exhausted, in a huge amount of pain and running a fever. Both of you will accompany me back to the hospital wing immediately," Madam Pomfrey threw in sternly, looking warningly at the Headmaster. Before anyone could protest, she professionally conjured two stretchers and moved her colleague and student onto the stretchers, making them float out of the Headmaster's office.

新しい人生

A few hours later, Harry woke up to hushed voices next to his bed. He sleepily opened his eyes, only to close them again, noticing that the light hurt his eyes.

"Harry?" the Headmaster's voice penetrated his ears like from far away. "Are you awake?"

Harry mumbled something incoherent, feeling extremely relieved when he heard the Mediwitch's voice telling Dumbledore firmly to leave him in peace.

"But I need to know..."

"Then you'll have to wait. Mr. Potter is ill and needs to rest, just like Severus. Please leave, Albus. I'm sure the two of them will be well enough to reply to your questions by tomorrow or the day after tomorrow."

'_I'll have to remember to thank her when I feel better_,' Harry thought. '_What happened? Did I cause something else to happen by casting the incantation? Perhaps I misunderstood something in the book. But I was fairly sure it would work like that. Why was Snape in so much pain though?_' Before he could come up with a plausible answer to his questions, he succumbed to the potions the Healer had spelled into his system and drifted back to sleep.

HP SEVERUS HP

Severus felt incredibly grateful when Poppy shooed the Headmaster away. '_Thank God; I'm busy enough trying to answer my own questions instead of having to reply to Albus' issues_,' he thought. '_What a strange summer. Umbridge gone, the Dark Lord a baby, Potter and Tom living in my quarters as my wards. And what happened now? Why would I be in so much pain, if Harry had merely cut off the connection between Tom and everyone else?_'

HP MINERVA HP

At the same time, Minerva tried to entertain Tom in her quarters. Malcolm, her personal house-elf, had fetched a few books and his large Lego blocks from Tom's room, and Minerva read to the small boy for a while, until he drifted off to sleep. When he woke up, Malcolm brought warm milk and a few baby biscuits for Tom, but he didn't want to eat and only took a few sips from his milk.

Instead, he threw Minerva a sad look and queried, "Hawwy?"

"I'm so sorry, sweetie, but Harry is ill, and he still needs to sleep. Shall we play with your Lego blocks for a while?" Minerva suggested gently, cuddling the small boy close. '_I wonder if he is feeling unwell too_,' she mused, noticing that his skin felt warm to the touch. "Tommy, are you feeling sick?" she asked softly. "Do you need Aunt Poppy to check on you?"

Tom threw her a miserable look from well-known green eyes that were slightly glazed over and sniffed. "Hawwy!"

Minerva sighed in exasperation. '_I have no idea if he is sick, or if he's only sad because he wants Harry, but I'm going to take him to the hospital wing anyway_,' she decided. "Let's go and see if Harry is still asleep," she cooed, causing Tom to give her a hopeful smile.

Minerva carried Tom down to the hospital wing, carefully opening the doors as to not wake Harry and Severus. However, at the sight of his adored adoptive father, Tom wiggled his way down from her arms and ran through the large room as fast as his little legs could carry him.

"Dada, Hawwy!" he shouted and raised his arms, causing Harry to automatically pull the boy onto his bed.

"Hey sweetie," he mumbled weakly, lazily opening his eyes.

Unfortunately, Tom chose that instant to get sick all over Harry, himself and the bed, causing Minerva and the Healer to hurry to their side. While the Mediwitch cleaned Harry, the bed and Tom with a flick of her wand, Minerva firmly gathered Tom in her arms.

"Poppy, I think he is sick. He feels very warm to the touch," she said worriedly.

"He probably made himself sick, because he was missing Harry," the Healer confirmed after a quick wave of her wand over the baby.

"You can leave him here now. I'm already feeling much better," Harry said quickly, ignoring the disapproving look Poppy shot him as she conjured a crib between Harry's and Severus' beds.

"Tom, you may stay here for the moment, but you need to remain in your own bed," Poppy said softly, unobtrusively spelling a light fever reducing potion, laced with a sip of a calming draught, into the small boy's system.

'_Thank God_,' Minerva mused as Tom fell asleep. She sat on the edge of Harry's bed to exchange a few words with her student, when the Headmaster entered the hospital wing and motioned for her to come into Poppy's office for a moment.

"Minerva, I need you to take over my office for a while. I must go to the Ministry. The Minister has mysteriously vanished," Dumbledore informed her in a grave voice.

"Very well. Poppy, can you look after Tom?" Minerva replied, absentmindedly noticing that half a dozen owls tried to enter the hospital wing through a slightly opened window.

* * *

_tbc..._

_Thank you so much for your kind comments._


	6. Chapter 6

**A New Beginning****  
by Healer Pomfrey**

_Please refer to the disclaimer and warnings in chapter 1!  
_

* * *

**Chapter 6**

Madam Pomfrey only grudgingly released Severus and Harry in time for the Welcoming Feast with the instruction to go back to bed right after the feast. Unbeknownst to the Potions Master, she had re-directed all the owls, who had come in search for Severus during the last two days, to the Headmaster.

Therefore, Severus was equally surprised as the rest of the school that many of the Slytherin students were absent when he entered the Great Hall together with Harry and Tom. Hundreds of students were torn between the sight of the partly empty Slytherin table and the sight of Snape and Harry peacefully walking into the Hall together with a small boy slowly toddling between them.

"Oh, I hate this. They're all looking at me," Harry whispered to Severus. "What happened to the Slytherins, by the way?"

"I have no idea," Snape replied quietly. "If it gets too much for you, you can come back to my quarters at any time, even if it's during the night. You know the password."

Harry smiled. '_How could I forget my Mum's name?_' he mused, before he whispered his thanks to the Potions Master and turned to sit at the Gryffindor table.

Hermione and Ron quickly made space for him and Tom to sit, before Ron blurted out, "Who's that?"

"That's my cousin, Tom. My relatives didn't want him, because he is magical; so I adopted him."

"You WHAT?" Ron shouted in disbelief.

Harry noticed uncomfortably that at least the whole Gryffindor table looked at him. "You heard me," he whispered impatiently.

"But Harry, you're not even seventeen. How can you adopt someone?" Hermione asked in surprise.

"Snape is his guardian, mine as well by the way, so that I won't have to return to the Dursleys ever again," Harry replied quietly.

"Are you going to take him to class with you?" Hermione asked, gently tickling Tom, who giggled happily.

"Yes, and he'll stay in the dormitory with us," Harry replied. '_As cute as he is, I'll be glad when he's in bed asleep tonight_,' he thought as he placed a piece of chicken, a few carrots and some rice on the small boy's plate, knowing that he didn't like potatoes. "Wait Tom, I'm just going to cut it for you," he said quickly, prying two tiny hands off the plate.

By the time the Welcoming Feast was over, Tom was fast asleep on Harry's lap, and Harry felt equally exhausted. He slowly carried the small boy into his dormitory, where the elves had magically enlarged the area around his bed and equipped the room with a changing table and a cot for Tom right next to Harry's bed.

"Are we going to have the baby here in the room?" Seamus asked in disbelief, glaring at Harry.

"Yes, where would I stay with him?" Harry replied in confusion.

"Does he at least sleep through the night?"

"Err... No, he normally wakes up once, but I'll try to calm him down as quickly as possible," Harry said unsurely.

"What's your problem, Finnegan?" Ron asked impatiently, rolling his eyes. "Yes, we have a baby in the room. Are you afraid to get sleepless nights of it?"

"Harry can cast a Silencing charm around his bed and that of the baby, and then we won't hear anything," Dean threw in, causing Neville to nod eagerly.

"Oh right, I'll do that," Harry replied gratefully, remembering that Hermione had taught him a spell during his fifth year, when he had often suffered from nightmares. He quickly waved his wand around the two beds and went to bed as well.

"Harry, are you already going to sleep?" Ron asked in surprise. "Only the first years have to go to bed straight after dinner."

"Yeah, I know, but I'm tired, and my head hurts a bit. I often have problems with that ever since the fight at the Ministry," Harry said in a small voice, finding that it sounded very believable that he had the headache due to the fight.

新しい人生

The first few weeks of the school year passed uneventfully. Tom quickly became used to attending classes together with Harry, and Harry's dorm mates became acquainted with the small boy staying in their dormitory. However, no one had an idea what had happened to the missing Slytherin students.

"I assume that the spell Harry cast on Severus' mark made all the Death Eaters vanish," Dumbledore said in a meeting with Professors McGonagall, Snape and Harry, causing Harry to throw him a desperate look.

"I'm sorry; I didn't want to kill anyone," he said in shock.

"Don't worry, Mr. Potter. We don't even know if you killed them," Severus replied softly.

"Just concern yourself with your schoolwork and take good care of Tom," Dumbledore agreed gently.

"I will," Harry promised, knowing that he would be responsible for Tom over the next sixteen years.

One day, Tom was very restless and spent half the night quietly whimpering and moaning. Harry grudgingly took him out of his crib and placed him next to him in his own bed. However, Tom wouldn't calm down, and the only result was that Harry's headache, which he was nearly having all the time, worsened immensely.

'_Maybe I should take him down to the common room and walk around with him for a bit_,' he thought and quietly left the dormitory. Suddenly, a thought struck his mind.

"Tom, are you sick?" he asked the boy, noticing that he felt slightly warm to the touch, if not overly so.

The small boy only moaned slightly. '_Hmm, let's see if you have a fever, will we?_' Harry said soothingly and stepped into the bathroom to fetch a thermometer. He placed the child on the sofa in front of the fireplace and tried to coax him to open his mouth to no avail. Tom firmly kept his mouth shut. '_How am I supposed to take his temperature?_' Harry thought in desperation, fiercely rubbing his forehead.

All of a sudden, Hermione came down the stairs, throwing them curious looks. "Are you having problems, Harry?"

Harry let out a long sigh. "I think he is sick, but he won't let me take his temperature."

Hermione carefully laid a hand on the little boy's forehead. "I think he might be running a temperature. You can't take babies' temperatures in their mouth anyway. You have to stick the thermometer into his bum. Here, I'll help you. I'm going to hold him." She sat on the sofa, placing Tom on his stomach onto her lap.

'_My head is going to explode_,' Harry thought as he slowly unbuttoned Tom's bottom. '_I hope he won't pee on Hermione_,' he mused as he took off his nappy and stuck the thermometer into Tom's bum, causing the baby to whimper miserably.

"I know, sweetie; it's over soon," he cooed, soothingly stroking the child's cheeks, while he carefully kept the thermometer in place. "Oh no, 39.2," he read from the display. "That's very high."

Hermione sighed and turned Tom around, so that she could talk to him while Harry quickly dressed him again. "You're really feeling unwell, sweetie, aren't you?" she cooed, gently pushing a few errand strands of hair out of his face.

"Ye," Tom moaned miserably.

"Will you tell me what's wrong?" Hermione asked softly.

Tom miserably tagged his earlap and softly began to cry, causing Harry to give him a concerned look.

"Does your ear hurt, little one?" he asked softly, causing Tom to nod.

"All right then; we need to take him to the hospital wing," Hermione said resolutely and stood up from the sofa, handing Tom to Harry. "Let's go."

"It's a respiratory tract infection," Poppy diagnosed, giving Harry a concerned look. "I hope you won't get it from him, Harry. I assume that you prefer to take him with you and come here for a check up once or twice a day than to leave him here?"

"Yes of course," Harry replied quickly.

"I'll help you looking after him," Hermione offered gently, causing Harry to inwardly sigh in relief.

Poppy handed Harry a small phial. "Give him one spoonful of this every four hours after you take his temperature. If his fever gets any higher, you must come here immediately. Otherwise, it suffices if you come once a day, perhaps before breakfast."

During the next two days, Harry had to keep Tom on his lap the whole day, while they were in class, since the child was very whiny, obviously feeling miserable. After their last afternoon class, he retired to the dormitory and put Tom to bed, while he sat next to the crib on his own bed and worked on his homework, glad that Hermione often joined him in the dormitory.

Even after Tom's recovery, Harry and Hermione kept the habit of doing their homework together in the dormitory, while Tom was asleep in his crib, although Ron was not happy about it to say the least. '_He really seems to be jealous of Tom_,' Harry recalled what Hermione had told him one day, unable to understand that feeling at all.

_

* * *

tbc..._

_Thank you so much for your kind comments._


End file.
